Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as his new Chief of Staff.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, announced the appointment before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.
President Buhari’s appointment of Mr Ibrahim Gambari is coming a few weeks after the death of his former CoS, Mr Abba Kyari.
It will be recalled that Mr Kyari lost his life to the deadly COVID-19 virus last month.
Mr Gambari is a Nigerian scholar, diplomat and an indigene of Kwara State.
He was a Minister of External Affairs between 1984 and 1985, a period President Buhari ruled this country as a Military Head of State through a coup.
The new appointee is also the Pioneer Chancellor of Kwara State University and holds the prestigious national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
He was received on arrival at the Presidential Villa by senior presidency officials, including the Director of Protocol, Mr Yakubu Ahmed, and the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Tijani Umar.
Others who received him were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs, Office of the Vice President, Mr Abdullahi Gwari, as well as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr Garba Shehu, who all ushered him into the Aso Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
Today’s FEC meeting is the first in about two months and it is taking place through a video conference.
News of the appointment of Mr Gambari hit the airwaves on Tuesday, but the presidency was adamant to confirmed the reports until today’s confirmation by Mr Mustapha.
Yesterday, Mr Shehu, when contacted about the reports, claimed he was not aware of the appointment, but there were few congratulatory messages to Mr Gambari, especially from Kwara State, where Mr Buhari was thanked for considering their son for the powerful position.
